Sam Wilson is not MY Captain America!
Okay, before you start calling me a racist, let me explain. I like Sam Wilson. I like Anthony Mackie AS Sam Wilson. I like Sam Wilson AS Falcon. There’s quite a difference with that moniker. After Steve Rogers (Chris Evans) handed the shield over to Sam in Avengers: Endgame, Sam struggled with the boots he had to fill. And Steve’s decision was put into question. By the U.S. Government, as well as Sam himself. Captain America is a “symbol”. A symbol for pride, justice and above all, hope. I’d go as far as to say, a bastion of America.
In the series, The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, we saw Sam push against replacing Steve Rogers as Captain America. So, the government filled the position with John Walker (Wyatt Russell). Walker was a different Captain than Sam and Bucky (Sebastian Stan) had in mind. They didn’t exactly play nice. In the series, we were introduced to Isaiah Bradley (Carl Lumbly), a black man who was experimented on with the Super Soldier Serum and hidden from the public for 30 years by the very government that made him. Okay, this will all make sense soon enough…
Fast forward four years later and they made good on the promise at the series finale with Sam no longer being “The Falcon”, with the change in title to, ‘Captain America and the Winter Soldier’,
signifying his willingness and acceptance of the new moniker. Okay. I get it. It may’ve worked in the comic books but I think its themes are too much to squeeze into a 6-episode series. Especially, themes of race.
Thank you for your patience. NOW, let’s get to the meat of this review. Thaddeus “Thunderbolt” Ross (Harrison Ford) is going to be the next President of the United States. And because of that, he’ll be Sam’s new “boss”. A little conflict of interest, perhaps? I mean, Ross has some history with one of Sam’s teammates on the Avengers. We’re cool with that? Oh, and Sam invites Isaiah to the White House for a gala and everything is cool now? The same government that used him, experimented on him, tortured him, and locked him away for 30 years…? Huh. Okay…
Speaking of time that has passed. Twenty years. Okay, almost twenty years. It’s actually seventeen. That’s how long it’s been since The Incredible Hulk came out. It’s important to note, if you haven’t seen the 2008 movie, just a little warning, Captain America: Brave New World is sort of a pseudo-sequel. It references a lot of what transpired in it. If you aren’t a fan, some of the nods may be over people’s heads. Personally, I liked what they did with Banner/Hulk (played by Edward Norton). I love the character of The Hulk. I’m glad it’s getting its due in the grand scheme of things. Incorporating it into the MCU.
I think prior to seeing Brave New World the opening weekend, it was spoiled in several ways (it took me until recently to see it – my fault). For one, by the trailers. Really? The Red Hulk? Concept art of Samuel Sterns/The Leader (Mr. Blue played by Tim Blake Nelson in The Incredible Hulk). The controversy surrounding the character of Ruth Bat-Seraph played by Shira Haas, an Israeli actress set to be the superhero Sabra. Due to the Israeli conflict, her background was changed from an Israeli soldier to being a Black Widow. A 4’11” (1.5 meters) powerhouse.
That’s a lot of “kitchen sink” to toss into a movie boasting a Captain America solo movie. Where’s the Captain? Sam’s flying around like a bird of some sort…I want to say…a falcon? In a red, white and blue suit (thanks to the Wakandans), meanwhile his sidekick (Joaquin Torres played by Danny Ramirez), who is also in a winged suit, is now being called…FALCON? And there’s this HULK-ing red carrot being dangled in front of us (thanks to the trailers and the internet!) wondering when Ross is going to get angry enough to burst onto the scene. And it doesn’t take much to figure out who’s pulling the strings in all of this. Cue the wet fart noise…it’s Samuel Sterns! The reasoning behind his grand plan is a bit of a stretch. In fact, I couldn’t recall how he was captured and imprisoned at the end of The Incredible Hulk. Was he charged with aiding and abetting an enemy of the state…? No seriously, I want to know.
In spite of the 10 pounds of sh*…story shoved into a 5 pound bag, I was entertained. It wasn’t Marvel’s worst but it was far from their best. Adapting certain comic book story arcs is tricky. It’s a Cliff’s Notes version. All the characterization, the comics’ history, condensed into two-hour windows, needs to be earned. For the future, just work off of what we’ve already seen in prior movies. Lean into what it means to be a black man taking up the mantle of Captain America. Or let Sam be The Falcon. Give him his own identity. Give kids someone to look up to. To identify with.
I’m curious, with Thunderbolts* coming out this week, if any of this will be addressed or even have this link to it. Are the Thunderbolts named after “Thunderbolt” Ross? Is that why there’s an asterisk? Is it happening concurrently with this movie? When does Bucky run for Senet? Should this even be called a Captain America sequel? “Enquiring minds want to know”.
Arguing With Myself 